aanteekwa kiilhswa ‘Crow Moon’

March 26, 2018

Aanteekwa Kiilhswa is the second month of the Myaamia lunar calendar. It is named for the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), which usually nests and breeds during this month. During the winter months, aanteekwaki ‘crows’ often gather in large groups but as the nesting period begins this behavior comes to an end. In the midwest, aanteekwaki are some of the earliest birds to build nests and lay eggs. Like the other lunar months named for birds, Aanteekwa Kiilhswa typically occurs during the transition from pipoonwi ‘winter’ into niipinwi ‘summer.’ During Aanteekwa Kiilhswa maple sugaring often reaches its height. But by the end of this lunar month, the Sugar maple trees have usually budded and the sugaring season comes to a close.